Asheville, NC - Dahut Perl Mongers
During the Perl Oasis 2010 hackathon a conversation was had that discussed the failure for excitement about North American YAPC's (YAPC::NA). It was felt that there was a distinct lack of competition and desire to show off the local talents and skills, especially compared to European YAPCs. Various members of Dahut.pm were present at this meeting and decided to take it upon themselves to try to set a proper example.
Because Dahut.pm is a Non-Geographical group it was decided to host a YAPC in a location without it's own Perl Monger group. A search was made across the width and breadth of North America for a suitable venue. Eventually settling upon Asheville, North Carolina.
The proposed dates for YAPC 2011 are Monday, June 13 through Wednesday, June 15, 2009. These dates however are tentative depending on continued availability with the venue.
We have planned for a conference of roughly 300-350 people, this is similar in size to the 2009 YAPC::NA in Pittsburgh. We're planning on 7 workshop rooms that hold ~50 people each. This would allow us to hold up to 5 concurrent sessions plus overflow for Birds of a Feather sessions, and communal rooms.
Food & Beverage Minimum: $9697.50 ($7500 + 20% + 7.75%) Space: Free with Food and Beverage Minimum Audio Visual Costs: $4000 ($2500 projectors estimated + $1500 screens etc.)
Estimated Venue Costs: $13,697.50
The Food and Beverage Minimum will be focused mainly on a Conference Dinner for all attendees with any remaining money going to food services provided through out the conference.
Current pricing plans are $100.00 per person for attendance. This will work out to roughly $30,000 in expected revenue from ticket sales. This will leave a surplus of $16,302.50. This surplus, as well as any monies from sponsorship money will be use to pay for attendee SWAG such as conference t-shirts (estimated at ~$20 per person).
Any remaining money will of course be given back to the TPF for future events and grants.
At this time we have not identified any Asheville Local companies to reach out to for sponsorship. Asheville however is a growing technical community and upon acceptance of the bid we will be researching and reaching out to companies in the local community as part of the marketing of the event.
We have not yet reached out to any national companies either. We have had support from members of the Pittsburgh YAPC organizing team, and plan to reach out to them to help with our sponsorship efforts.
We are planning to have a Conference Banquet for all attendees. This is budgeted into our Food and Beverage budget with the hotel, and will be held on Tuesday night.
There are also plans for a Speaker's Dinner which, depending on sponsorship response, may be held as a pay-your-own-way event. This is tentatively being organized as part of the Brews Cruise which is a walking tour of the micro-breweries and smaller restaurants in downtown Asheville. Estimated costs are $50.00 per person.
Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher, North Carolina. Asheville has non-stop service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New York City, Newark, and Orlando. It is located fifteen miles south of downtown Asheville near the town of Fletcher. Ground transportation and major rental car companies are available at the airport terminal.
Flights into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) located in Greenville, South Carolina, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) located in Charlotte, North Carolina, or McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) located in Knoxville, Tennessee, are sometimes cheaper than flying directly to Asheville. Greenville is about a 1.5 hour drive, Charlotte and Knoxville are both about 2 hour drives.
Asheville is also located at the junction of Interstate 26 and Interstate 40, with an I-240 connector that passes through downtown. Mountainous, curvy, and scenic sections of highway are found along the interstates in all four directions while traveling into Asheville. The Asheville area is also served by 10 US and state highways. The Blue Ridge Parkway has four primary accesses in Asheville at US 25, US 70, US 74A & NC 191.
Asheville is a small town and designed for walking.
Asheville Transit operates Bus service downtown and a "fare-free" zone exists covering almost all of the businesses, restaurants and attractions of downtown. Riders can take any bus in the system within the Free Zone at no charge.
Outside of the Fare Free zone but fare is $1.00 USD one way.
Transportation is available from the venue to downtown Asheville.
The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Asheville.
- 34000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities
- 274 well-appointed guest rooms, including 4 suites and 17 King Executive suites
- Complimentary parking
- Complimentary high-speed wireless internet
- Award-winning restaurant
- Mulligan’s Bar & Grille, featuring sandwiches, snacks and drink specials
- On-site golf, indoor and outdoor tennis, and swimming
- Tennis and Golf Pro Shop
- Fitness center with brand new state of the art equipment
- Concierge and bell services
- Pet Friendly rooms are available
As the venue is a hotel we have worked with them to get the cheapest room rate available. We have requested a block of rooms at $95.00 per night and they are willing to allow two people to share a room and split the costs making the cost for a shared Double/Double $47.50 which is comparable to the Single Dorm rate at the 2010 YAPC in Columbus.
In addition to the regular rooms, the Crowne Plaza has Vacation Villas on property that are private suites. We have reserved a block of the 2 Bedroom Villas for people organizing in groups. The cost for these is $159.00 / night. The 1Br and 2Br Villas also come with sleeper couches and private kitchens.
Double/Double: $95.00 / night King: $109.00 / night King Executive: $129.00 / night
Vacation Villa Studio: $109.00 / night Vacation Villa 1Br: $129.00 / night Vacation Villa 2br: $159.00 / night
The Crowne Plaza has free high speed wireless.
The Crowne Plaza has free high speed wireless.
To our knowledge a YAPC has never been held in North Carolina, let alone in Asheville. Because Asheville lacks a local Monger group the odds are that a YAPC will not be held there any time soon either.
Additionally, we have an excellent local resource in Manda Palomares, the Sales Manager at the hotel. She has helped us plan and coordinate the event through the bidding process. We expect we can have further support from her and the staff at the Crowne Plaza as coordination continues to move forward.
Asheville is situated in the middle of the Great Smokey Mountains, and has several options for outdoor activities. For example the Wikitravel Guide has this to say about Hiking:
Some of the most beautiful (and abundant) waterfalls can be reached via the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park your car on any Parkway overlook and there will most likely be a trail nearby. Popular spots include Mount Pisgah (15 miles south on the Parkway), Graveyard Fields (25 miles south on the Parkway), Craggy Gardens (24 miles north on the Parkway), and Mount Mitchell, the eastern United States highest mountain (35 miles/1 hour drive north on the Parkway).
In addition to the out door activities, Asheville is the regional center for art and culture in western North Carolina. It includes several dozen museums and galleries, as well as theater and music venues.
Asheville is also home to the Biltmore House. Biltmore House is a French Renaissance-style mansion, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at 175,000 square feet (16,300 m2) and featuring 250 rooms. Still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants, it stands today as one of the most prominent remaining examples of the Gilded Age. In 2007, it was ranked eighth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.
The host committee has an established track record of putting together quality Perl events. The committee leadership has organized the 2009 and 2010 Orlando Perl Workshop "Perl Oasis" as well as help organize the 2008 Frozen Perl Workshop. The committee includes organizers from YAPC 2009 as well as the London Perl Workshop.
We are committed to making an enjoyable event, and have the experience to make it happen.